Harare: Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer is disturbed with fans frustrations over his team's two successive defeats against MS Dhoni’s team in Harare.
On Monday, one of the fans and a member of the Zimbabwe Cricket Supporters Union (ZCSU) waved the message (from the stand) that Zimbabwe Cricket Players should be arrested and face TREASON.
"This type of banner is disturbing but we know we have brought in ourselves, we have a long way to go as a team, and we just ask our fans to stand by us while we try fix our problems on the park," Cremer said.
"I totally understand the supporters’ point of view; they are disappointed in us as we are in ourselves. We just need to put in some good performances to regain the trust and support from our fans. We value their support and we would not be a team without their support," the captain added.
In the meantime, the organisation has appealed to not take the literal meaning of the banner.
"Yes one banner had that but it must not be literally translated," Tapfumaneyi Vivian Banhire, the chairman of ZCSU, from Harare said.
"The fans are very disappointed as the players keep on losing without a fight. The banner meant that the supporters feel that the players do not have the country at heart and their performances are a witness to that,” he said.
"Our fans have always supported them even during the days when we were being bowled out for 35 in an ODI and being bowled out twice in a day in Tests. We had never complained because they lacked experience and we were actually angry to those rebels who had left us then. But now 10-13 years later the team is still not improving," he added.
"If you look st their performances since we came back for Tests you can simply see the downward trend and the free fall have been accelerated in the last 12 months."
"In 2014 when Australia and South Africa came here for a tri-series, we played competitive cricket against Proteas in one of the games and beat Australia. They were the full strength teams, but now we are losing without a fight and that too against new Indian side. Afghanistan is winning all the series against us," said Banhire.
"In the last three years we have changed 3 board chairmen, 3 convener of selectors, four captains but we are getting worse."
"The Zimbabwe players are very much disappointed that their fans have turned against them. But we have always backed them. These boys have talent and the heart to win, but they don't play with pride."
"These guys owe the opponents, the Board, the fans and their families better cricket."
The fans association was formed 10 years ago but got the Board recognition about 4 years back. It has more than 500 members.
The man, who put the banner, with which the players are not happy, is identified as Mufaro Mudyariwa.
